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List of Copy Abilities

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In every Super Smash Bros. game, Kirby has the ability to copy another character's neutral special move with his own neutral special move, Inhale. If Kirby swallows another Kirby, only damage is dealt, but if he swallows another Kirby that has a Copy Ability, it can be stolen. When Kirby copies an opponent, he will also bear a resemblance to that character, usually in the form of a hat that displays a prominent visual part of the character copied. When performing copied attacks, Kirby often mimics their voices or sounds as well as their poses, and uses the same weapons as their owners; however, unless otherwise noted, alternate costumes have no effect on his Copy Ability. Aside from the obvious range differences, copied attacks are functionally identical to the originals except where noted.

Kirby can discard the ability at any time by taunting. He may also lose it when taking damage (though there is a temporary "grace period" where this will not occur), and he will also lose it upon being KO'd. Also, anything spawned by the ability will vanish if Kirby loses it. For example, if Kirby tosses a Metal Blade onto the ground, picks it up, and taunts, the blade will vanish. Kirby will also lose his ability if the inhaled character's damage meter vanishes (indicating the character has been unloaded from memory), such as in Smash 4's All-Star Mode or certain Event matches. Against transforming characters, Kirby will keep his current ability even after the opponent has transformed.

Super Smash Bros. 4 introduced custom moves. Regardless of whether a neutral special has been customized or not, Kirby will only copy the default version of the move (with the exception of Olimar, as noted below). This applies to Palutena and the Mii Fighters' neutral specials as well.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, when using his copy ability, Kirby gains a 1.2× damage multiplier for the copied move; however, knockback is not affected.

Character Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Special move Notes
Banjo & Kazooie SSBU Banjo-Kazooie Kirby.jpg Egg Firing / Breegull Blaster Kirby uses an animated Kazooie plush for the attack. Like Banjo and Kazooie, Kirby can use his aerial jumps while using the Breegull Blaster, though he benefits more as he can use all five of his aerial jumps (compared to the duo's two).
Bayonetta KirbyBayonetta3DS.jpg
Kirby using Bullet Climax
SSBU Bayonetta Kirby.jpg Bullet Climax Although Bayonetta will always aim in the same place, Kirby's shots from the handguns are lower than the shots from his feet.
Bowser Kirbybowser.png Bowserkirby.jpg KirbyBowserHair3DS.jpg
Kirby using Fire Breath on Mario Circuit.
SSBU Bowser Kirby.jpg Fire Breath Kirby can flame cancel in all versions of Melee, while Bowser can only do so in NTSC 1.0 and 1.1. Kirby's pose while breathing fire resembles the corresponding pose of Fire Kirby.

In SSB4, Kirby imitates a monster grunt when performing this move, despite Bowser not vocalizing when he performs Fire Breath.

Bowser Jr. KirbyBowserJrHat.jpg
Kirby Bowser Jr Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Bowser Jr. Kirby.jpg Clown Cannon Unlike Bowser Jr., Kirby is silent when using Clown Cannon. Additionally, due to not having a Clown Car, Kirby performs the move with his mouth instead.
Byleth SSBU Byleth Kirby.jpg Failnaught
Captain Falcon Kirby Captain Falcon SSB.png Kirbyfalcon.png Kfalconpunch.jpg KirbyHatFalcon.jpg
Kirby Captain Falcon Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Captain Falcon Kirby.jpg Falcon Punch In SSB, Kirby can use the Falcon Punch as a horizontal recovery move. In Brawl, throwing it immediately after a jump gives him large boost upward. The visor was blank until Ultimate, when it was given the same "eyes" as Captain Falcon's visor and also became opaque for the first time since Smash 64. In Ultimate, Kirby slides backwards further after throwing out the punch, ending up closer to where he was before using the move. Kirby also says "Falcon Punch!" like Captain Falcon when using the move.
Charizard Kcharizard.jpg KirbyCharizard3DS.jpeg
Kirby Charizard Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Charizard Kirby.jpg Flamethrower
Chrom SSBU Chrom Kirby.jpg Flare Blade Unlike Chrom, Kirby only vocalizes after charging the move at least for 2.5 seconds. Inflicts recoil damage to Kirby if fully charged.
Cloud Screenshotted by myself.
Kirby using Blade Beam in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
SSBU Cloud Kirby.jpg Blade Beam Does not gain Cloud's Limit Gauge and thus cannot perform the Limit Break version of the move.
Corrin KirbyCorrin3DS.jpg
Kirby using Dragon Fang Shot. For consistency, from Miiverse.
SSBU Corrin Kirby.jpg Dragon Fang Shot Kirby's version of the bite notably has considerably less range.
Daisy SSBU Daisy Kirby.jpg Toad
Dark Pit KirbyDarkPitCopy.jpg
Kirby Dark Pit Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Dark Pit Kirby.jpg Silver Bow Prior to version 1.0.5 in Smash 3DS, if Kirby uses the move at the end of his forward, back, or up throw, a glitch will occur in which he floats in the air until he stops charging the move.
Dark Samus SSBU Dark Samus Kirby.jpg Charge Shot
Diddy Kong Kdiddy.jpg KirbyDiddyKong3DS.jpeg
Kirby Diddy Kong Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Diddy Kong Kirby.jpg Peanut Popgun Strangely, if Kirby's gun explodes, and then the game is paused, Kirby will appear normally-colored instead of a burnt black.
Donkey Kong Kirby Donkey Kong SSB.png Kirbydk.png Kdk.jpg KirbyDonkeyKong3DS.jpeg
Kirby Donkey Kong Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Donkey Kong Kirby.jpg Giant Punch Causes helplessness when used in the air (except in SSB and Ultimate). In imitation of Donkey Kong's grunts, Kirby says "Gao!" when unleashing a fully-charged punch, which is a Japanese onomatopoeia for an animalistic roar. In SSB, Kirby can charge-cancel the wind-up to turn more easily in the air.
Dr. Mario Dr Mario Kirby.png KirbyDrMarioHat.jpg
Kirby Dr Mario Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Dr. Mario Kirby.jpg Megavitamins In Melee, Kirby's Megavitamins make the Koopa Shell sound upon impact. The Doctor ability, introduced in Kirby: Planet Robobot, has a similar appearance and allows Kirby to use a similar move.
Duck Hunt KirbyDuckHuntHat.jpg
Kirby Duck Hunt Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Duck Hunt Kirby.jpg Trick Shot Unlike Duck Hunt, Kirby does not flinch when the can is shot nearby.
Falco Kirbyfalco.png Falcokirby.jpg KirbyFalco3DS.jpeg
Kirby Falco Wii U.jpeg
SSBU Falco Kirby.jpg Blaster Kirby sports the same "mohawk" that Falco had in his Melee design, even in later games. In Brawl, shots fired from the copied Blaster do not have the electric effect that Falco's Blaster has. Kirby's shorter stature means that he can laser lock characters that Falco himself cannot.
Fox Kirby Fox SSB.png Fox KirbySSBM.png Kfox.jpg KirbyFoxHat.jpg
Kirby using Fox's Blaster on Orbital Gate Assault.
SSBU Fox Kirby.jpg Blaster Shot Super Smash Bros. Gives Kirby the ability to short hop double laser and even short hop triple laser as a result of his floatiness.
Blaster Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ganondorf Ganondorf KirbySSBM.png Kganon.jpg KirbyGanondorf3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Warlock Punch on Bridge Of Eldin.
SSBU Ganondorf Kirby.jpg Warlock Punch In Ultimate, Ganondorf no longer slides forward slightly on the ground when the punch comes out, but Kirby still does, which somewhat makes up for Kirby's hitboxes having a smaller offset.
Greninja KirbyGreninja3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Water Shuriken on Kalos Pokemon League.
SSBU Greninja Kirby.jpg Water Shuriken Kirby's floatier jumps mean that using Water Shuriken in the air will give Kirby a more noticable boost in height than Greninja's.
Hero SSBU Hero Kirby.jpg Frizz / Frizzle / Kafrizz Kirby gains Erdwin's Coronet (which closely resembles Erdrick's silver headpiece), the Supreme Sword of Light, and Erdwin's Shield, all items available to the Luminary in Dragon Quest XI. Unlike similar recharging abilities, such as Robin's tomes and Inkling's ink, Kirby also gains the Hero's MP Gauge system and follows the same rules when using it.
Ice Climbers Kirbyiceclimber.png Kpopo.jpg SSBU Ice Climbers Kirby.jpg Ice Shot Kirby does not gain a partner through this ability, so he can only fire one block of ice at a time. The parka is blue whether or not Kirby swallowed Popo or Nana. The Freeze ability's hat, introduced in Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land, has a similar appearance. Starting in Brawl, when crash landing with the move from the air, Kirby will faceplant into the ground, and get up. In Brawl, an oversight with this animation resulted in Kirby sustaining much more landing lag from this than the Ice Climbers, at 30 frames rather than 16.
Ike Ikekirby.jpg KirbyIkeHat.jpg
Kirby using Eruption on Castle Siege.
SSBU Ike Kirby.jpg Eruption Inflicts recoil damage to Kirby if fully charged.
Incineroar SSBU Incineroar Kirby.jpg Darkest Lariat While Incineroar's lariat trail will match its palette color, Kirby's will always be gray. Won't stall Kirby when used in the air unlike Incineroar's.
Inkling SSBU Inkling Kirby.jpg Splattershot If Kirby uses up all of his ink, he loses his Inkling Copy Ability entirely, in a similar manner to Robin's Copy Ability; he cannot manually restore his ink either, since he doesn't copy the unique input. Although he always copies the orange Inkling's hairstyle, Kirby will use the first ink color (in order of orange, blue, yellow, green, pink, cyan, purple or violet) that is not being used by another Inkling.
Isabelle SSBU Isabelle Kirby.jpg Pocket
Ivysaur KIvysaur.jpg SSBU Ivysaur Kirby.jpg Bullet Seed
Jigglypuff Kirby Jigglypuff SSB.png Kirbyjiiggly.png Kjiggly.jpg KirbyJigglypuff3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Rollout on Pokemon Stadium 2.
SSBU Jigglypuff Kirby.jpg Pound Super Smash Bros. Differs from Jigglypuff's Pound in that using this move toward a ledge sends Kirby off of the ledge, and it is notable for having much higher distance if Kirby leaves the ground at the end of the Pound animation; it is capable of traveling nearly the length of a Dream Land soft platform if spaced correctly. The hat's color changes based on Kirby's alternate costume.
Rollout Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Causes helplessness when used in the air in Melee. Regardless of the game's current language settings, Kirby says "Purin," Jigglypuff's Japanese name, upon performing this move. In SSB4, Kirby can move left and right in midair after hitting an opponent with Rollout, due to having a higher fall speed than Jigglypuff. He also rebounds further backwards, due to his air friction being lower than Jigglypuff's. Ultimate's damage multiplier for copied abilities allows Kirby's Rollout to instantly break a shield if the move is released right before Kirby touches ground, causing the move to hit twice. In Ultimate, Jigglypuff's ears fold inwards during Rollout; Kirby's do not follow this trait. With the exception of SSB4, the hat's color changes based on Kirby's alternate costume. In Ultimate, Kirby's Rollout will continue to play the charging sound effect when the move is released, even doing so on top of the charged release sound effect.
Joker SSBU Joker Kirby.jpg Gun As Kirby does not copy the Rebellion Gauge, he does not have access to Arsène or Gun Special.
Kazuya SSBU Kazuya Kirby.jpg Devil Blaster Kirby's appearance changes to resemble Devil Kazuya while performing Devil Blaster, with wings and a purple coloration. The rest of the time, his appearance is based on Kazuya's human look, and retains Kirby's standard palette swaps.
Ken SSBU Ken Kirby.jpg Hadoken Like Ken, Kirby cannot perform the Shakunetsu Hadoken (which is not part of Ken's moveset), but can use a stronger Hadoken through the traditional input. However, Kirby cannot perform the Oosoto Mawashi Geri or the Nata Otoshi Geri as Ken can. Incidentally, Kirby has separate voice clips for him saying Ken's Hadoken instead of using the same voice clips used for Ryu's version. Unlike Ken, Kirby remains quiet if he attempts to fire a Hadoken while one's already in play.
King Dedede Kirbydedede.jpg KirbyKingDedede3Ds.jpeg
Kirby using Inhale on Great Cave Offensive.
SSBU King Dedede Kirby.jpg Inhale In Ultimate, Kirby gains the ability to inhale and spit out Gordos, which Kirby can't do with his standard one. However, he loses the ability to swallow other projectiles and can only exhale them. Kirby is noticeably less bloated after inhaling someone compared to both his normal Inhale and Dedede's Inhale.
King K. Rool SSBU King K. Rool Kirby.jpg Blunderbuss Unlike K. Rool, Kirby does not don a pirate hat, but still mimics the animation of K. Rool taking off the hat at the end of the move.
Link Kirby Link SSB.png Kirbylink.png Klink2.jpg KirbyLink3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Fairy Bow on Skyloft.
SSBU Link Kirby.jpg Boomerang Super Smash Bros. Unlike Link's Boomerang, Kirby can throw it through solid walls if he is touching them, allowing for pseudo-sharking on stages like Hyrule Castle (especially from the Greenhouse side) or Dream Land. Resembles Sword Kirby.
Hero's Bow Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4 Resembles Sword Kirby.
Bow and Arrows Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Although Link's default design is based on his Champion's Tunic, Kirby gains the familiar green cap from his Hero of the Wild outfit when copying him. Resembles Sword Kirby.
Little Mac KirbyLittleMac3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Straight Lunge on Boxing Ring.
SSBU Little Mac Kirby.jpg Straight Lunge Does not gain Little Mac's Power Meter and thus cannot perform the KO Uppercut. The hitbox is much lower down due to Kirby's size, enabling it to hit opponents hanging on the ledge. Also, if Kirby swallows Little Mac in his wireframe costume, his Straight Lunge will utilize the 8-bit sound effects unique to Wireframe Mac.
Lucario Klucario.jpg KirbyLucario3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Aura Sphere on Kalos Pokemon League.
SSBU Lucario Kirby.jpg Aura Sphere Kirby's Aura Sphere is not linked to his current damage, due to not copying Lucario's aura. Essentially, Kirby's Aura Sphere acts like Lucario's at its base power (75% in Brawl, 70% in SSB4 and 65% in Ultimate), however its size is that of 50% aura.

Should Kirby's damage output be significantly augmented in some way, such as with the use of custom equipment or Amiibo power level, the Aura Sphere he uses will emit the characteristic sound it does when Lucario charges it at high percentages.

Lucas Klucas.jpg screenshotted by myself
Kirby using PK Freeze on Onett.
SSBU Lucas Kirby.jpg PK Freeze Causes helplessness when used in the air in Brawl and SSB4. Kirby says "PK Freeze!" when using the move like Lucas does.
Lucina KirbyLucina3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Shield Breaker on Coliseum.
SSBU Lucina Kirby.jpg Shield Breaker Kirby wears the mask used by Lucina in her guise as "Marth", which she herself dons temporarily for her on-screen appearance and down taunt. Oddly, in Ultimate, there is a small window during the startup of the move before it begins charging where Kirby can move left and right in the air.
Luigi Kirby Luigi SSB.png Kirbyluigi.png Kluigi.jpg KirbyLuigiHat.jpg
Kirby using Green Fireball on Luigi's Mansion.
SSBU Luigi Kirby.jpg Fireball
Mario Kirby Mario SSB.png Mario Kirby.png KMario1.jpg KirbyMario3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Fireball on Delfino Plaza.
SSBU Mario Kirby.jpg Fireball In Melee and Brawl, Kirby's Fireballs hang much lower to the ground than Mario's due to the height difference, and disappear earlier as a result. This was adjusted in Smash 4, and they now bounce at the same height for both characters.
Marth Kirbymarth.png Marthkirby.jpg KirbyMarth3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Shield Breaker on Castle Siege.
SSBU Marth Kirby.jpg Shield Breaker Lacks transcendent priority in Melee. Oddly, in Ultimate, there is a small window during the startup of the move before it begins charging where Kirby can move left and right in the air. Though Kirby's mobility is also restricted for much longer at the end of the move due to the longer animation length if he doesn't act out of it.
Mega Man KirbyMegaManHat.jpg
Kirby using Metal Blade on Wily's Castle.
SSBU Mega Man Kirby.jpg Metal Blade
Meta Knight Kmeta.jpg Meta Knight copy ability.jpg
Kirby using Mach Tornado on Halberd.
SSBU Meta Knight Kirby.jpg Mach Tornado Causes helplessness when used in the air. Kirby's eyes while wearing the mask are light-green in Brawl and yellow in SSB4 and Ultimate. The green coloration in Brawl is due to the mask giving a yellow tint to Kirby's blue eyes and Meta Knight's silver eyes (though they are currently depicted as yellow even without the mask). In Brawl, unlike Meta Knight's version of the attack, the bottom-most hitbox does not cause aerial opponents to flinch, and the move in general connects much less reliably. In Smash 4, Kirby's Mach Tornado's hit rate does not increase when mashing, and thus will deal less damage than Meta Knight's version. In Ultimate, this is the only move that can render Kirby helpless under normal circumstances (aside from sliding off an edge during Final Cutter or touching the red trampoline from Pac-Jump). Functionally resembles Kirby's Tornado ability.
Mewtwo Mewtwo Kirby.png Kirby using Mewtwo's power on N's Castle.
Kirby using Shadow Ball on Kalos Pokemon League.
SSBU Mewtwo Kirby.jpg Shadow Ball As Kirby is much shorter than Mewtwo, his Shadow Ball is more likely to collide with the ground in Melee unless he jumps first. The hat's color changes with Kirby's alternate costume.
Mii Brawler Kirby using Shot Put on Battlefield. SSBU Mii Brawler Kirby.jpg Shot Put Kirby wears a headband with the face of the Mii he copied. He doesn't copy headgear.

In Ultimate, Kirby retains the original spinning Charge Blast animation from SSB4.

Mii Gunner Kirby using Charge Blast on Battlefield. SSBU Mii Gunner Kirby.jpg Charge Blast
Mii Swordfighter Kirby using Gale Strike on Battlefield. SSBU Mii Swordfighter Kirby.jpg Gale Strike
Min Min SSBU Min Min Kirby.jpg Punch Kirby lacks a unique aerial version of the move, and instead uses the attack in the air as he would on the ground. Kirby also lacks the Kung Fu Combo that Min Min gets when neutral special is tapped while grounded and her powered-up left arm after she performs a throw. Kirby's version is actually Min Min's forward smash; containing a different close, middle, and far hitbox and able to shoot a homing laser when held, whereas Min Min's neutral special has the same hitbox throughout and can't shoot a laser. Unlike Min Min, Kirby can't angle his attack or walk while punching. Kirby always uses the Dragon ARM, regardless of the ARMS Min Min has equipped on her right arm. It is also worth noting that, because Kirby's animations are mirrored and Min Min's are not, the arm Kirby uses depends on which direction he's facing.
Mr. Game & Watch Game and Watch Kirby.png G&wkirby.jpg KirbyMrGameAndWatch3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Chef on Flat Zone X.
SSBU Mr. Game & Watch Kirby.jpg Chef Kirby does not become 2D, though he mimics Mr. Game & Watch's choppy animation while using the move giving the illusion that he is 2D.
Mythra SSBU Mythra Kirby.jpg Lightning Buster Kirby only says "Lighting Buster!" when the move is fully charged like with Mythra. Kirby receives a smaller vertical boost when connecting the first hit in the air than Mythra (0.8 → 0.4), to compensate for his lower gravity. However, because the first hit sends opponents upward, and Kirby rises slower as a result of this, this can make the second hit connect less reliably.
Ness Kirby Ness SSB.png Kirbyness.png Kness.jpg KirbyNess3DS.jpeg
Kirby using PK Flash on Dream Land.
SSBU Ness Kirby.jpg PK Fire Super Smash Bros. Causes helplessness when used in the air (except in SSB and Ultimate). Kirby wears his cap backwards, similarly to Yo-Yo Kirby, Wheel Kirby, and Paint Kirby. The ESP ability, introduced in Kirby: Planet Robobot, resembles a color-inverted version of Ness's cap and allows Kirby to use a move similar to PK Flash. Kirby also says "PK Flash!" (or "PK Fire" in Smash 64) when using the move like with Ness.
PK Flash Super Smash Bros. MeleeSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Olimar Kolimar.jpg KirbyOlimar3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Pikmin Pluck on Garden of Hope.
SSBU Olimar Kirby.jpg Pikmin Pluck and Pikmin Throw Kirby's version of this move is specially adapted for him due to Pikmin not being completely tied into his moveset, unlike Olimar. Kirby will pluck a Pikmin and immediately throw it, hitting opponents for minor damage and dying once it hits the ground. The order in which Kirby plucks Pikmin follows the same rules as Olimar; in Brawl, it varies depending on the terrain, while in SSB4 and Ultimate, he always follows a set order. The hat's nose color changes with Kirby's alternate costume.

In SSB4, the version of Pikmin Throw that Kirby performs correlates with whichever side special move of Kirby's is set via character customization. Namely, if Kirby's side special move is set to Hammer Bash, his second side special, Kirby will perform Sticky Pikmin Throw, Olimar's second side special. The same is true if Kirby uses his third side special Giant Hammer, which will result in him performing Olimar's third side special, Tackle Pikmin Throw. However, this is less noticeable as Kirby's usage of the move is already quite similar to Tackle Pikmin Throw.

Kirby can only have three Pikmin out at a time. If he attempts to pluck more while three are out, the move will fail.

Pac-Man KirbyPacManHat.jpg
Kirby using Bonus Fruit on Pac-Land.
SSBU Pac-Man Kirby.jpg Bonus Fruit Kirby can Fruit Recycle in Ultimate. The hat's color changes with Kirby's alternate costume.
Palutena KirbyPalutena3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Autoreticle on Palutena's Temple.
SSBU Palutena Kirby.jpg Autoreticle Unused audio files in SSB4 include Kirby saying the names of Heavenly Light and Explosive Flame, Palutena's custom neutral special moves. In the final game, he only copies and says the name of Autoreticle.
Peach Peach Kirby.png Kirbypeach.jpg KirbyPeach3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Toad on Mario Circuit.
SSBU Peach Kirby.jpg Toad The animation was changed in Ultimate to match the changes made to Peach's version of the move.
Pichu Pichu Kirby.png SSBU Pichu Kirby.jpg Thunder Jolt Inflicts recoil damage to Kirby. Kirby also says "Pichu!" when using the move.
Pikachu Kirby Pikachu SSB.png Pikachu KirbySSBM.png Kpika.jpg KirbyPikachu3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Thunder Jolt on Pokemon Stadium 2.
SSBU Pikachu Kirby.jpg Thunder Jolt Kirby says "Pikachu!" when using the move.
Piranha Plant SSBU Piranha Plant Kirby.jpg Ptooie Kirby's model has a unique facial expression exclusively for this move. Kirby's ball has slightly heavier physics than Piranha Plant's when falling back towards him. Additionally, Kirby's blow on the ball is much less effective, granting it noticeably less velocity when sending it to the side, making this version of the move worse overall.
Pit Kpit.jpg KirbyPit3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Palutena's Bow on Skyworld.
SSBU Pit Kirby.jpg Palutena's Arrow Resembles Cupid Kirby in both design and function.
Pyra SSBU Pyra Kirby.jpg Flame Nova Kirby will only say "Flame Nova" when the move is fully charged like with Pyra.
Richter SSBU Richter Kirby.jpg Axe
Ridley SSBU Ridley Kirby.jpg Plasma Breath
R.O.B. Kr.o.b.jpg KirbyROB3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Robo Beam on Wrecking Crew.
SSBU R.O.B. Kirby.jpg Robo Beam While R.O.B. does not emit a vocalization during this move, Kirby says "beep" in a monotone voice. Resembles Laser Kirby in both design and function.
Robin KirbyRobin3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Thunder on Coliseum.
SSBU Robin Kirby.jpg Thunder Once Kirby exhausts the Thunder tome, he loses the Copy Ability entirely. Unlike Robin, he does not drop a tome to throw. He also says the name of all three versions of the move like with Robin.
Rosalina KirbyRosalina3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Luma Shot on Mario Galaxy.
SSBU Rosalina Kirby.jpg Luma Shot A yellow, unvoiced Luma appears when the button is pushed, and vanishes after losing momentum. Unlike Rosalina, Kirby's Luma cannot be attacked, and cannot block projectiles either - however, the Luma is in fact a separate entity, as it can be "caught" on ledges even if Kirby falls past them. Also, the attack cannot be spammed, as it requires a cooldown before it can be used again. In Ultimate, Kirby's version has slightly different properties than Rosalina's.
Roy Roy Kirby.png screenshotted by myself
Kirby using Flare Blade on Castle Siege.
SSBU Roy Kirby.jpg Flare Blade Inflicts recoil damage to Kirby if fully charged.

In Melee, Kirby mimics Roy's usage of his blast KO cry when releasing a fully-charged Flare Blade with his own blast KO cry; starting with Smash 4, Kirby uses a unique voice clip for fully-charged Flare Blade as with Roy himself.

Ryu screenshotted by myself
Kirby using Hadoken on Sukazu Castle.
SSBU Ryu Kirby.jpg Hadoken Retains Ryu's ability to perform a stronger Hadoken and the Shakunetsu Hadoken with the appropriate input. Resembles Fighter Kirby, who is also capable of performing Ryu's other special moves in certain games. Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby: Triple Deluxe also include the ability to fire stronger fireballs (called "Mega Force Blast", or "Hadou-Shot" in Japan) instantly by performing the traditional Hadoken input. He also says the names of all the variations of the move like with Ryu, though if a Hadoken is already out, he with say "Hah!" unlike Ryu, who simply grunts.
Samus Kirby Samus SSB.png Kirbysamus.png Ksamus.jpg KirbySamus3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Charge Shot on Pyrosphere.
SSBU Samus Kirby.jpg Charge Shot Originally a flat texture, the visor was made translucent from Melee to Smash 4, before being given an opaque glow in Ultimate that makes it more closely resemble Samus's own visor. In Ultimate, Samus's copied Charge Shot has the unique property of firing from closer to Kirby's hands than Dark Samus's, which isn't the case with their original owners'. Kirby's lower height also allows his Charge Shot to hit below the ledge consistently.
Sephiroth SSBU Sephiroth Kirby.jpg Flare / Megaflare / Gigaflare Unusually, Kirby does not imitate Sephiroth's lines when activating the move, instead letting out generic grunts.
Sheik Sheik Kirby.png Ksheik.jpg KirbySheik3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Needle Storm on Hyrule Temple.
SSBU Sheik Kirby.jpg Needle Storm
Shulk KirbyHatShulk.jpg
Kirby using Monado Arts on Gaur Plain.
SSBU Shulk Kirby.jpg Monado Arts The Jump Art does not cause Final Cutter to go any higher than usual.
Simon SSBU Simon Kirby.jpg Axe
Snake SnakeCopyAbilitySSBB.jpg SSBU Snirby.jpg Hand Grenade Kirby covers where his ears would be if a grenade explodes near him, mimicking Snake's behavior. He also walks differently while carrying a grenade that has not been thrown, again imitating Snake. He wears a headband similar to the ones worn by Fighter Kirby, Suplex Kirby, and Backdrop Kirby.
Sonic Ksonic.jpg KirbySonicHat.jpg
Kirby using Homing Attack on Windy Hill Zone.
SSBU Sonic Kirby.jpg Homing Attack Kirby jumps higher when rebounding after connecting the attack, due to his lower gravity. This makes the move safer to use offstage, but also effectively increases the ending lag onstage. Kirby's ball form is also larger than Sonic's, but does not have a bigger hitbox, but does have a bigger hurtbox, giving it more of a negative disjoint.
Sora SSBU Sora Kirby.jpg Magic Instead of directly wielding the Keyblade, Kirby uses a construct of sparkling particles roughly matching its shape, glowing to match the color of whichever version of Magic he is currently using.[1] He also says "Fire", "Thunder", and "Freeze" like how Sora does when using the move.
Squirtle Ksquirtle.jpg SSBU Squirtle Kirby.jpg Water Gun
Steve SSBU Steve Kirby.jpg Mine / Create Block Kirby's mechanics are altered compared to Steve. He gains 4 dirt, 2 wood, and 1 iron when copying the ability, he uses unbreakable iron tools to mine, and he can only mine materials used for building (dirt, wood, stone, and iron). His total inventory limit is 20 materials. Unlike Steve, Kirby cannot craft weapons; he is unable to create a crafting table or interact with existing ones.

The costume's color changes with Kirby's alternate costume. However, Kirby lacks facial expressions, and his eyes won't glow with a Final Smash, and the invincibility and intangibility overlays in Training Mode do not properly apply while in this form as well,[2] suggesting that the copy ability hat is a box prop around Kirby, rather than something that physically changes his shape.

Terry SSBU Terry Kirby.jpg Power Wave Kirby imitates Terry's "Power Wave!" and "Rock you!", and may also use a generic attack grunt when performing the move. Kirby cannot perform Power Geyser or Buster Wolf.
Toon Link Ktoonlink.jpg KirbyToonLink3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Hero's Bow on Skyloft.
SSBU Toon Link Kirby.jpg Hero's Bow Resembles Sword Kirby.
Villager KirbyVillager3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Pocket on Town & City.
SSBU Villager Kirby.jpg Pocket
Wario Fatmankirby.jpg KirbyWario3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Chomp on Gamer.
SSBU Wario Kirby.jpg Chomp Due to Kirby's slower fall speed, he can cancel a short-hopped Chomp before landing and act again, giving him extra mixups on ledge compared to Wario. He can also attempt a suicide KO with the aerial version. When he misses, he will say "Ow!" unlike when Wario misses the move.
Wii Fit Trainer KirbyWiiFitTrainer3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Sun Salutation on Wii Fit Studio.
SSBU Wii Fit Trainer Kirby.jpg Sun Salutation Resembles Snow Kirby's coloration from Kirby and the Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad. Unlike with most other copy abilities, Kirby doesn't mimic Wii Fit Trainer's "Salute the Sun!"Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico./"Sun Salutation!"Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues/"太陽礼拝!" yell.
Wolf Kwolf.jpg SSBU Wolf Kirby.jpg Blaster In Ultimate, the thrusting sound effect is out of sync, playing when Kirby takes out his Blaster rather than during the thrust.
Yoshi Kirby Yoshi SSB.png Kirbyyoshi.png Yoshikirby.jpg KirbyYoshi3DS.jpeg
Kirby using Egg Lay on Yoshi's Woolly World.
SSBU Yoshi Kirby.jpg Egg Lay Starting in Brawl, Kirby mimics Yoshi's "bero" licking noise. Starting in SSB4, the egg that Kirby lays matches the color of the copied Yoshi.
Young Link Young Link Kirby.png SSBU Young Link Kirby.jpg Fire Bow Resembles Sword Kirby.
Zelda Kirbyzelda.png Kzelda.jpg KirbyZeldaHat.jpg
Kirby using Nayru's Love on Hyrule Temple.
SSBU Zelda Kirby.jpg Nayru's Love In Melee, Brawl, and SSB4, Kirby wears the same hat as the younger version of Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, despite the latter two games featuring Zelda in her Twilight Princess design. In Ultimate, this was changed to her hair and tiara from A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds. Kirby's version is unblockable in Brawl.
Zero Suit Samus Kirby with a Zero Suit Samus hat KirbyZeroHat.jpg
Kirby using Paralyzer on Norfair.
SSBU Zero Suit Samus Kirby.jpg Paralyzer

Trivia[edit]

  • The Smash Bros. copy ability (seen in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Kirby's Dream Collection Special Edition, and Kirby: Planet Robobot) allows Kirby to use his standard moveset from the Super Smash Bros. series in the mainline Kirby games.
  • Masahiro Sakurai has noted that adding DLC characters is made even more difficult by the fact that Kirby has to have another copy ability added every time one is included.
  • Zelda, Falco, and Hero are the only characters whose copy ability hats are not solely based on the character's concurrent appearance in Smash. Zelda's is based on young Zelda's hat from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in all games prior to Ultimate, despite Zelda not wearing this hat in any of her playable appearances. Falco's is based on his head design in Star Fox 64, despite this only being accurate to his depiction in Melee, as his design is changed in later Smash games. The Hero's incorporates a piece of equipment that the Luminary can wear in his original game, despite him not doing so in Smash.
    • Zelda is the only character whose copy ability hat has been based on a different version of the character copied, as Brawl and SSB4 use the Twilight Princess incarnation of Zelda.
  • In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Link is the only character whose copy ability hat is based solely on an alternate costume, as Kirby uses Link's cap from his "Hero of the Wild" armor set in spite of Link's default costume no longer including a cap.
  • Hero is the only character whose weapon Kirby can copy, but not use, with the Supreme Sword of Light being purely aesthetic.
    • While he doesn't use the Monado as a weapon, Kirby can still use it to apply Monado Arts to himself.
    • In Sora's case, he does not use the Keyblade itself, instead using a rough imitation of it made of sparkles.
  • Kirby creates replica weapons for Banjo & Kazooie and Sora's copy ability, following source material that the weapons are unique. However, this is not followed for many canonical weapons, such as the Falchion, Ragnell, and Monado.
  • Mr. Game & Watch, Wii Fit Trainer, and Kazuya are the only characters whose copy abilities change Kirby's color scheme. In Kazuya's case, the color change only applies when Kirby is in "Devil" form. This applies regardless of Kirby's alternate costume.
  • Yoshi, Little Mac, and Inkling are the only characters whose alternate costume affects Kirby's copy ability aesthetically.
    • Additionally, while their alternate costumes do not affect Kirby's copy ability, Jigglypuff (sans SSB4), Mewtwo, Olimar, Pac-Man, and Steve's copy ability hats will change color based on Kirby's costume.
  • Terry and Kazuya are the only characters whose Copy Abilities add a cosmetic to the tips of Kirby's hands when copied, specifically their gloves. He gains "sleeves" when copying Donkey Kong, but they do not fully cover his arms.
    • Kazuya is also the only copy ability in Smash to have an additional change to Kirby's form when the Copy Ability is used, being a "Devil Kirby" form when using Devil Blaster.
    • Steve is the only character whose Copy Ability completely changes Kirby's model, rather than simply adding something to it; when copied, Kirby takes on an entirely blocky appearance.
  • According to Kirby's voice actress—Makiko Ohmoto—she is usually not given any context when recording Copy Ability voice clips, in order to maintain confidentiality. However, when recording the voice clips for copying Terry, she immediately figured out who it was solely based on the two lines she had to record, as she was familiar with Terry's dialogue through playing Fatal Fury with her brother.[3]
  • Because Kirby is able to jump six times in a single sitting, selecting the Jump art from Shulk's copy ability allows him to remain in mid-air longer and reach greater heights than nearly any other character, except through the use of items like the Bunny Hood and Rocket Belt.
  • Masahiro Sakurai showed an early version of Kirby's Pyra outfit in a YouTube video, notably with hair that extended lower in the back that was raised later to match Pyra's hairstyle.[4]

References[edit]